New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman received court judgment against The Juice Factory Corp., a beverage company, for allegedly failing to follow the state's Returnable Container Act.
Known as the Bottle Bill, the act requires beverage companies to collect bottle deposits of at least 5 cents from consumers and then remit any unclaimed deposits to the state.
The Juice Factory, which is based in Monroe County, allegedly didn’t give the state the unclaimed deposits for more than two years. The court ordered the company to pay the total amount of $79,571.
If the Juice Factory fails to follow the court order, an additional $25,000 penalty will be added on.
“The Bottle Bill is one of New York’s hallmark environmental laws, and companies that skirt the law not only hurt recycling and litter prevention efforts but also cheat us all out of money that benefits the public,” Schneiderman said. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to enforce New York’s Bottle Bill and other environmental laws, and ensure that everyone plays by the same set of rules.”
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) assisted Schneiderman in the investigation.
"Companies have a responsibility to comply with the state’s environmental laws, and I commend DEC investigators and our partners in the Attorney General’s Office and Tax Department for taking decisive action in the Juice Factory case,” DEC Commissioner Joe Martens said. “We must continue to ensure compliance with New York’s Bottle Bill law and put an end to deceptive practices that take advantage of consumers. Unclaimed deposits support important environmental programs that protect our environment, reduce the amount of waste disposed in landfills and save energy.”